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NEVER change pH using chemicals - first, droping pH more than 0.2 can kill fish, and second, every water change will then change the tank's 'new' pH. Also, you are traped adding chemicals all the time to hold the pH. Besides, pH is irrelavent; steady pH (no matter what) is what is important.

Knowledge is fun(damental)

A 75 gal with eight Discus, fake plants, and a lot of wood also with sand substrate. Clean up crew is down to just two Sterba's Corys. Filters: continuous new water flow; canister w/UV, in-tank algae scrubber!! Finally, junked the nitrate removal unit from hell.

I highly recommend against using pH down. 'Off the charts' will probably be anywhere from 7.8-8.4 which will most likely be fine unless you're trying to breed or keeping wild caught fish. They're many disadvantages to using any ph altering chemical such as ph down/up, if cost isn't an issue the main one will be consistency. Your water changes will take longer as you now how to premix your water to match the ph of the water already in the tank. Constant ph changes aren't healthy for your fish. Simply put, it's better to have a stable high ph than a fluctuating one you lowered with the use of chemicals. If you want a constant/safe way to lower your ph you can get a ro unit and mix with your tap water to get your desired ph if you have enough space for mixing tanks etc.

Have just checked the tap water and its very similar to the tank PH so maybe it's not a problem. I generally check my ammonia/nitrite and forget about PH so when I saw it was high I freaked!

So.. A lot of my fish are moving very little and mainly at the bottom of the tank. I've already lost 3 ember tetras and an albino cory (can't believe my oto's are hanging on). Could this just be an effect of the high nitrites from earlier today?

woah you have high nitrites? thats a big problem. your tank is uncycled and will cause your fish to be very stressed. you need to read the sticky on fish in cycling. basically do water changes frequently (like every other day or so) till the nitrites are staying at 0 ammonia is 0 and nitrates are appearing.

i beleive prime claims to detox that nitrites but im not sure.

KING OF THE GOLD BARBS RAWR!!!!I wonder if i plant one of my tiger barbs would the demon seed grow to a full tree?gotta love them bunnies! I.R.S.: We've got what it takes to take what you've got!

As in my first post :p I had a nitrite spike this am while I was at work.
My OH did some water changes to get them down and I did another when I got home.
Checking nitrites every hour and they're staying at zero.

It sounds like you need to be doing at least 75% W/Cs every day. I've also herd of people putting floating plants such as horn wort in their tanks to help with nitrates (as nitrates are probably very high as well).